Abstract
Parental involvement has been linked to student achievement by government policies on education, research, and public opinion. Correlational studies provide evidence that parental involvement is an effective strategy for increasing academic achievement. This study identifies and analyzes the parental involvement and reading strategies perceived to be the most influential on student achievement. A Delphi method, utilizing a combination of focus-group interviews, face-to-face surveys, and an online questionnaire, was used. In focus-group meetings, 13 parents identified parental involvement strategies and behaviors they believed to be most influential on student achievement. Those strategies were rated quantitatively by the parents and 16 educational experts. Parents gave high rankings to items that allowed them to have a direct influence on the academic focus (i.e., Motivating your child to do their best, Stressing the importance of good attendance and punctuality, Helping your children with homework) and lower rankings to Taking your children to the library and Attending school events. Educators recognized focused strategies such as Dedicating time, Reading to your children, and Providing unconditional love, but, contrary to the parent group, did not place a high value on Stressing the importance of good attendance and punctuality. Sharing these results may help educators understand what parents consider to be effective parental involvement. Workshops for parents with parent-approved strategies may be appreciated.